Externships provide inside view of career and internship options

Nearly a dozen Economics and Business Administration students discovered a few careers they hadn’t thought of during an extern day at Baltimore-based Legg Mason.

“I was surprised by the diversity of jobs that you don’t think about with a company like Legg Mason,” said senior Bobby Baker about the company that is a diversified group of global asset management firms with 34 offices around the world.

The McDaniel students heard from professionals in Legg Mason’s tax preparation, internal audit, marketing and institutional investor relations departments and saw that these areas too are integral to the investment business.

Seniors John Michaels and Daylen Stoutin both are leaning toward jobs after graduation in investment analysis – and that seemed more oriented toward working at one of the Legg Mason affiliates, they said on the trip back to campus.

During their visit, the students also learned about Legg Mason’s corporate organization. They picked a 10-stock portfolio and evaluated their investments based on fictional scenarios and the resulting gains or losses. And, they submitted their resumes in consideration for internships or jobs.

McDaniel’s Externship Program is designed to give students firsthand experiences in companies and careers within their fields. Day-long externships may involve “shadowing” professionals or meeting with them to learn about their jobs.

“The employers we meet with consistently tell us how impressed they are with the poise, professionalism and knowledge of our students,” said Kathleen Curtin, director of Corporate and Foundation Relations and coordinator of the Externship Program. “The Externship Program is a great way to introduce the corporate community to an outstanding source of future business leaders.”